Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504220009
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CODY LOWE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In particular, he felt I misrepresented the aims and effects of the seminar's work on the Gospels because my reading of the seminar's work didn't agree with his own.
Fortunately, a society that values and protects a free press means that not only will the Jesus Seminar have a right to publish its conclusions about the Bible, but its critics will be able to publish their views as well.
In fact, it seems everybody and his brother is publishing something about religion these days. The proliferation of titles on religious subjects can be overwhelming, even for those of us whose job it is to keep up. A lot of it is garbage, either poorly written or theologically absurd, but much is very good.
Every now and again I try to suggest titles that many of you might find interesting, but which may not show up on the best-seller lists.
Let's start off with a book I was criticized for criticizing - ``The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say?'' by Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover and the Jesus Seminar (Polebridge Press, 1993. $30).
This includes a relatively new translation of the Christian Gospels and the gnostic Gospel of Thomas called, boldly enough, the Scholars Version or SV. It also includes the famous - or infamous - color-coded evaluation of the authenticity of Jesus' words as decided by votes of a panel of biblical scholars.
The commentary holds no surprises for those familiar with modern critical approaches to Scripture, and it's primary attraction is in seeing how the scholars voted on whether Jesus was likely to have said the words attributed to him.
The Scholars Version, with notes but not commentary, is available in an expanded form that recently has been released in paperback. ``The Complete Gospels'' (Polebridge Press, 1994. $18) includes the four Gospels of the New Testament as well as several other early works that were rejected as unauthentic by the early church.
Those include the gospels of Thomas, Mary and Peter, a Signs Gospel, the Secret Book of James, and a reconstruction of the Book of Q, which scholars have speculated is a collection of sayings known to the early Gospel writers but lost to us.
In this collection, the Jesus Seminar members have contributed notes to the text but have resisted the extensive commentary of ``The Five Gospels.'' The result is an interesting collection of early writings that sometimes parallel and sometimes contradict the canonical Gospels.
The Scholars Version - a new translation of the original texts, most of which were in Greek - makes for strikingly fresh reading, though it sometimes is disconcerting. The text is aggressively gender-neutral to the point of even avoiding the word ``kingdom.'' So words traditionally translated as ``God's kingdom'' become ``God's imperial rule'' or``God's domain.'' There is nothing wrong with the attempt, but it feels a little unwieldy sometimes. In its zeal to be modern, the text also inserts an anachronism in the phrase commonly translated ``You cannot serve God and mammon,'' by saying ``You cannot be enslaved to God and a bank account.''
Those are small quibbles, though, in an otherwise attractive translation.
At the other end of the Christian theological spectrum is the New American Standard translation of the Ryrie Study Bible (Moody Press, 1995. $29.95)
Where the Jesus Seminar begins its study of the Bible from the assumption that ``the memory of Jesus is embellished by mythic elements ... and by plausible fictions,'' the Ryrie Bible contends that the ``inspired word of God'' can be relied upon to be historically and scientifically accurate, as well as theologically definitive.
With notes by conservative scholar and pastor Charles C. Ryrie, the Ryrie Study Bible defends the traditionally assigned authorship of the books of the Bible and the reality of the miracle accounts, and attempts to explain any apparent discrepancies or contradictions in the texts.
Particularly helpful elements are book-by-book timelines for key people and events and outlines for each book.
Those looking for a critical examination of Scripture will be disappointed. Those wanting a traditional interpretation will be satisfied.
For those who really love in-depth study of the Bible, a new translation and commentary on ``The Song of Songs'' (Random House, 1995. $27.50) is available from Jewish scholars Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch.
While Christians, in particular, have come to read this biblical love story as an allegory to describe God's love for his people, the Blochs see it as an explicit poem about two human beings' physical love for each other.
Their book includes an introduction, renderings of the book in both Hebrew and their own English translation, then a detailed commentary on the Hebrew words and their usage.
The book provides far more detail than most casual readers are likely to want. Ariel Bloch is an expert on Semitic languages and much of the linguistic commentary may be lost on those of us who don't know much about ``presentational particles'' and ``pronominal referents.'' Nevertheless, the literal renderings and references to other biblical and extrabiblical sources is enlightening. And the translation of the Song of Songs is beautiful.
Among other beautiful books is ``Saints: A visual almanac of the virtuous, pure, praiseworthy and good'' by Tom Morgan. (Chronicle Books, 1994. $16.95).
There is a flood of books on saints these days, but this compact version is one of the best and prettiest. The book includes brief biographies of dozens of saints, arranged according from their feast days, from St. Almachius on Jan. 1 to St. Stephen on Dec. 26. There also is a list of patron saints for everyone from broadcasters (the Archangel Gabriel) to funeral directors (Joseph of Arimathea).
Finally, we've had ``Life's Little Instruction Book'' and ``God's Little Instruction Book''; now comes ``Mary's Little Instruction Book'' (Warner Books, release date May 1, 1995. $5.99) from the author of ``Touched by Angels,'' Eileen Elias Freeman.
Included are not only instructions from Christian Scripture, such as the Magnificat from Luke in which Mary praises God for choosing her to bear the Savior, but also from her more recent appearances at Medjugorje (``When you pray, do not keep looking at your watch'') and Scottsdale, Ariz. (``You will experience happiness by loving one another'').
Some lessons bear repeating, I guess.
by CNB